It was a new era for Luxembourg and its people. For the first time in a very long time, the small Grand Duchy—tucked quietly between Germany and France—had fallen. Not by sword, nor by rifle, but by the ink of a pen.
Gone were the days where peace and prosperity were safeguarded by carefully balancing the interests of neighboring powers. The old game of soft power diplomacy and political maneuvering was no longer viable. In its place stood the cold, hard logic of the modern age—an age ruled not by persuasion, but by force. By blood and iron.
Marie-Adélaïde had understood this far more deeply than Bruno had initially realized. For a long time, he had believed she was infatuated with him merely for what he could offer her. And while it was true that the future of Luxembourg's sovereignty seemed to hinge on some imagined personal connection between them, her pursuit had always been more than political strategy.
